Bauchi Village Head remanded in prison custody for land scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Gombe Zonal office on Wednesday, January 24, arraigned one Alhaji Muhammad Uba Wuntin Dada before Justice M. Shitu of Federal High Court, Bauchi, on a one count charge bordering on Obtaining Money by False Pretence.

Dada who is the Village Head of Wuntin Dada under Bauchi Emirate Council (SARKIN WUNTIN DADA) was alleged to have fraudulently sold a piece of land in October 2013.

The complainant claimed that he bought the plot of land at the sum of Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only (N550,000.00). After two years of purchased, another claimant showed up on the same plot of land. The new claimant said the land with title documents were issued to him by Ministry of Housing and Land, Bauchi State.
Investigation revealed that the complainant was deceived by the defendant who made him believe that the plot is genuine and belongs to him, knowing fully that he had no title documents, neither was the land allocated to him. The charge read:

"That you Alhaji Muhammad Uba Wuntin Dada sometimes in October, 2013 or thereabout, at Bauchi, Bauchi State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only  (N550,000.00) from the duo of Musa Abubakar Garba and Aminu Maigari as the purchase price for the property located at Guru Miri Bauchi, Bauchi State, under the false Pretence that you are legal owner, facts which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1)(b) and Punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006".

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge read against him.

Prosecution counsel, Zarami Muhammad asked the court to remand the defendant in prison and also requested a date for trial.

While adjourning the case to March 12, 2018 for trial, Justice Shitu granted bail to the defendant.

The bail conditions invlude One Million Naira  (N1m) and one reliable surety who must be a traditional tittle holder within Bauchi.

However, he was ordered to be remanded in prison custody pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions